Comparing Wordpress and Joomla

There are many free open source CMS solutions. Wordpress is probably the most popular CMS followed by Joomla and Drupal. All three are universal enough so you can create any type of website, from blog to small corporate website. Most inexperienced users start with either Wordpress or Joomla. Both systems have a big community, are well supported, have thousands of themes (or templates) and extensions for every possible feature you could imagine. However, despite the universality and support there are some differences that can influence your choice.

Wordpress is oriented toward blogs. In its basic installation it provides all features to run a blog. Of course, you can add or remove any feature but the whole concept is focused on posts which can be assigned to one or more categories. Each post can be tagged-tags are also one of the ways to search the website. Customization of Wordpress website starts with theme selection. You can find great free themes that can be downloaded and installed but there is also a huge selection of premium themes with advanced designs. And if you can not find one according to your wishes you can create it from existing HTML template. The next step would probably be installation of essential plugins. Plugin is an extension which changes or adds some functionality, widget or feature. After few modifications and plugin installation you can create a website with unique look.

Joomla is more universal and its concept is slightly more difficult to understand but it is still simple enough. The system is oriented around articles (pages) which can be assigned to sections and categories. Joomla has also a huge selection of templates. You can easily select one template that will fit your needs and wishes. Joomla has also a big selection of extensions which are divided into components, modules and plugins. Their role is to change or add some functionality. At the end you can have a nice looking website for almost any purpose.

The main difference between Joomla and Wordpress in the approach and the knowledge you need to publish the first page. Wordpress is simpler for beginners--the first post can be immediately visible. Joomla needs more preparation and knowledge but it is still simple enough for beginners. The biggest difference is in the concept. Wordpress is basically a blogging platform, while Joomla is universal. You can also use Joomla for blog or Wordpress for personal website, but if blog is what you need then you should go for Wordpress. Wordpress is also a little more SEO friendly, but you can achieve the same on-page optimizations with Joomla. You will only need a little more time and effort. Maybe the best approach before choosing the CMS is to install and try both systems. You can find excellent online tutorial for first steps.

The conclusion is that both systems work well, are popular and well supported, have many templates and extensions, and finally can be modified according to your wishes. So the decision whether to use Joomla or Wordpress depends on your taste. Once you will have your own website you will have the possibility to express yourself and you will start to discover the web from a different perspective.